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Recently Glamour did a whole series of content about plus-size fashion and it is FANTASTIC. Part of this series was the introduction of the Glamour Plus Size Fashion Awards. This is the first year, and I am thrilled this will be an annual event, similar to the awards that magazines like Allure and Real Simple give to products that stand out for their awesomeness. Glamour invited several plus-size influencers of varying sizes and personal styles to vote on the best clothing – best bras, t-shirts, jeans, and more. The list includes many items and brands I agree with – ELOQUII makes amazing plus-size moto jackets, Old Navy rocks plus size leggings, Bandlettes are awesome for preventing thigh chafing, and we all know I dig Universal Standard jeans. However, I looked at the list and everything felt a bit… young. There's nothing wrong with young, Glamour is a magazine catered to younger Millenials. But what about us grown women? Those of us over 35, and maybe over 65? We have different fashion needs and different economic means.
So I decided to create a survey to gather from you what you find to be the best plus-size fashion for grown women. Where you find workwear, loungewear, activewear, footwear, and more. I encourage you to answer any questions that are relevant to you, and encourage friends and families to fill out the survey too! I will be sharing the results in a few weeks and the information gathered will help tailor the plus size content I offer on Wardrobe Oxygen.
Click Here to Access the Survey
This survey is completely anonymous and no personal data is collected by me. If a question isn't relevant to you, go ahead and skip it, answering with “no” or “n/a” counts as an entry. Please enter only one brand or retailer per question; if you have a runner-up favorite there is a field at the end of each section where you can add that or any comments on fit, styles, and such.
While the majority of this survey and my audience is focused on the United States, I encourage plus-size readers from other countries to also complete the survey. I know I've been willing to pay to ship shoes and bras that fit here from other countries, and I have seen companies adjust their shipping policies to be more international-friendly once they've reached some success. Your local favorite may end up being an international hit thanks to your mention!
If you have any questions about the survey, feel free to ask a question below! And stay tuned for the results!
Shop New Arrivals of Plus Size Fashion:
Top Row: one | two | three | four
Bottom Row: one | two | three | four
Hi Alison,
Thanks for the very insightful content!
Could it be possible to have an access to the survey? The link seems to not be working anymore.
Thanks a lot and have a great day
Bélinda
the other thing ( i forgot to include in the survey) is the lack of pieces that are actually DESIGNED for plus sized bodies, things that flatter us (and there ARE things that need the fuller body to really come alive).
there is money to be made in good plus sized fashion, if only designers would think in terms of curves and rounded female softness-
that being said, i’m an artist, and i need to look business like in some settings- dealing with galleries, and at award ceremonies…. i couldn’t find anything that would work for an award ceremony, and sequins was definitely not appropriate
I am not plus size so am not filling out the survey, but I was just reminded of something that happened to a friend of mine pertaining to plus size clothing: a friend’s wife got a promotion at work and my friend wanted to treat her wife to a personal shopping session at Nordstrom to upgrade her work wardrobe. She filled out the online information, but got a call from a Nordstrom stylist that they did not have much in her size and it wouldn’t be a useful session. She was mad and her wife felt humiliated.
How horrible! Sadly I am not surprised as Nordstrom has a decent plus range online but a lot of their stores are severely lacking.
Thank you so much for taking the time to do this survey! I imagine it’s quite a job? Anyway, the questions forced me to face some the trouble with clothes shopping for plus size, that I often try to ignore. The fact that I would probably buy half the Zara store if the items came in my size is just annoying! Why are they cutting me and my money off? It hurts to be excluded.
This leads to the next issue: I have so much rubbish among my clothes just because it was the only alternative. Fit is always a major issue. In Europe we don’t get petite sizes over US size 16. Not that I’m petite, but I have an extremely short torso, so petite upper-wear would be helpful.
Also, finding plus size t-shirts with a defined waist is almost impossible, but a basic element in most wardrobes. Why?
Shoes? With ultra extreme jumbo sturdy feet I need what another stylist called “hearing aide for the feet” – makes it hard to feel stylish 🙁 My solution is to by cheap clothes and burn my budget on bespoke shoes made in Italy)
There’s also too much polyester in plus size fashion, and too little silk!
Will you contact Glamour with the results? It would be nice to hear their response to “what older women want” 🙂
I didn’t think of this until after I filled out the survey, but I also hate plus sizing. I don’t know the difference between a 14 and a 14W. I’d love to see at least a basic explanation. I do ALL my shopping online and anything “W” confuses me enough that I just skip it. What does that mean? Cut the same in the waist but bigger in chest and hips? The opposite? Something else?
It is confusing! W stands for women, or plus size and it is shaped differently. While most size 14 regulars are based upon a size 6 model and graded up, W clothing is based on a plus size model, usually a size 20, and graded up or down to that. You will find W clothing on a size chart to be larger, with more allowance in the bust, hips, and thighs. Most retailers will have the size chart either linkable right on the item page or at the bottom of every page in the fine print with FAQ and return policies. Just with straight sizes, plus sizes aren’t consistent and a size chart is your best friend in finding which size will fit you best!
Using a size 6 fit model and sizing up doesn’t work. It’s not a straight line graph.
Agree!
This is a wonderful idea, thank you so much for creating the survey!
My pleasure!